To The Memory of George Stinney Jr.

George Stinney Jr was the youngest person ever executed in South Carolina, in 1944. Due to his small body frame, they had to make the poor 14-year-old boy sit on top of a phone book before he could properly fit into the electric chair. It must have been a gory sight. And the agony suffered by the child could only be imagined. The execution however, has since been found to be wrong. In a December 7, 2014 ruling, a South Carolina state judge vacated Stinney's conviction in the deaths of two young girls, clearing his name.



He is shown here above in this undated file photo provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The cold-blooded murder of this child under legal coloration was just one of the many cases of injustice that were perpetrated by some Americans against people of color, and that include the Blacks, the Native Americans, the Hispanics, the Japanese and others. These acts of evil came under descriptions of racism, prejudice and stereotype.

It’s been many years ago and the perpetrators of those heinous crimes against humanity have since been long dead and gone. There is however a spiritual law of Karma. It has no statutory limitations. And there is definitely life after death. Therefore, any wonder why this great nation is plagued with too many strange physical afflictions and mysterious omens that are not even seen in Third world nations.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday?

The Christmas season is primarily a Christian affair because it’s the time of each year that is dedicated to the celebration of the holy birth of Jesus Christ. It’s however such a captivating period of every year that several non-Christians usually join in the celebration. It’s also a period most favored by all retailers and small business owners irrespective of their beliefs or religious leanings. The Christmas mood is so contagious and pervasive all across the world that it spreads even to Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam.

And all over the global community, people fondly exchange compliments of the Christmas season by saying “Merry Christmas!” The only exception though is the United States where it’s a social crime to utter this form of greeting. Here, in God’s own country, the safe words to use is “Happy Holiday!” And this is all because some people don’t believe in Jesus while there are others who don’t even believe in God. Fine, I respect that school of thought. But my first question is, in a democracy, why will a minority of people impose so much stress on the majority? Secondly, how can a small section of the nation’s population expect the bigger number of people to know about their petty objection to a mere form of greeting when the objection is not written on their foreheads or their clothes?



It’s in view of this situation therefore that I have personally resolved to exercise my rights under the First Amendment by saying “Merry Christmas” to anyone I choose to greet in that manner irrespective of their beliefs. And in fairness, all I expect them to do in return is either to respond appropriately or to simply ignore me. But no one should expect a “Happy Holiday” from me!

10 Survival Tips for Young Black Folks in the United States.

In the wake of the ridiculous verdict of the St. Louis County grand jury on the cold-blooded shooting of Michael Brown, here are ten survival tips for young black folks to consider:

1. Stay away as far as possible from any city or town that has no favorable racial diversity in its law enforcement agency.


2. If you’re already stuck in such a city or town, avoid driving in the evening as much as possible.


3. Don’t go driving about with your car loaded with black friends. It’s a sure invitation to racial profiling at the hands of white cops.


4. If you get pulled over by a white cop, make sure to place your two hands calmly on the steering wheel as he or she approaches the car. And put a “zipper” on your lips!


5. When the cop asks for your driver’s license, registration and insurance, gently inform him or her when you’re about to reach for the required documents.


6. Make sure to say “Yes sir/ma’am” or “No sir/ma’am” to any question asked.


7. It’s DUMB to swear, curse or argue with anyone that has a gun. If you disagree with a cited violation or traffic ticket, keep your feeling to yourself. You can always go to court later to argue it out.


8. Please NOTE that cops are humans too. They have prejudices, frustrations, miserable lives and anger management issues just like other mortals.


9. Yes, this is a land of freedom and liberty. But if you rely on that slogan to confront an armed cop (legitimately or not) you may be doing so at your own peril.


10. And, lest I forget, there can never be any change in this God’s own country unless you and I make it a duty to always go VOTE at every election!

These are times that call for common sense. It’s better to appear stupid and be alive than to “show off” and end up six feet below!

The American Ironies.

·         In America, no one is allowed by law to drink and drive. Yet, everyone is expected to show a driver’s license to buy alcohol. What therefore is the relationship between liquor and a driver’s license?

·         In every gas station, there is a sign that warns people not to smoke. However, all gas stations sell cigarettes.

·         Walk into any major retail store and what do you see? It’s the individuals who really need to do some physical exercise that you’ll see using store-provided scooters to go about the store.

·         United States is the only country in the world with too many marriage counselors who are either divorced or never married.

·         Inter-state highways are built by the federal government to link one state with another. Hawaii is an island that has no road-linkage with any other state. But why do they have inter-state highways…roads that lead to no other state?

·         America has a travel/trade embargoes against Cuba. Yet, many Americans, especially the rich and the famous (including law makers) spend huge sums of money to indulge in the habits of smoking the Cuban cigar.

·         It’s funny how rappers and thugs revel in the image of social misfits and non-conformists by their inappropriate public attires. But let them have some criminal or civil case and you’ll see them in court all “decked out” in some fanciful suits and ties. That means they do know the importance of proper modes of dressing!

·         America is globally known as the foremost land of freedom and liberty. Yet, several Americans, especially blacks, were forced by circumstances of slavery, racism and prejudice to seek freedom and liberty elsewhere by adopting the citizenship of foreign nations such as Canada in North America and France in Europe.

·         The words “colored people” have been described as the worst misnomer in English grammar. This is because it’s a Caucasian individual that has different shades of skin “colors” while a black person has only one. Therefore, how come the same words remain an integral part of an organization such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)?